Kingston 
The solar eclipse on Monday (April 8) makes for perfect timing for visiting Kingston located on the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
This creates beautiful scenery to look out over from almost anywhere along the lakeshore trails in Kingston. At this time of the year, many of the city’s sightseeing tours and historical sites begin to open to the public for the season.
This smaller Ontario city is gearing up for the 2024 April solar eclipse in big ways. Across the city, visitors can find small events at museums, restaurants, and venues and bigger events at the city’s big tourist destinations, like Fort Henry.
Make time to see and experience all that Kingston has to offer! Whether you’re interested in the city’s deep historical rock and roll roots, other deep historical routes, or getting into nature and out on the water, Kingston has something for everyone.
The Solar Eclipse in Kingston
Solar Eclipse: April 8, 2024
Maximum Eclipse: 3:23:47 PM EDT
Best Ways to View and Enjoy the Eclipse in Kingston
There is an entire festival dedicated to the 2024 solar eclipse in Kingston, with events running all throughout early April thanks to the City and Tourism Kingston. They’ve put together a number of small events throughout the city, many over the weekend of April 5-7. These include presentations, workshops, kids’ activities, and more.
- All of Kingston is getting ready for the total solar eclipse, including Tourism Kingston, Queen’s University, and the City of Kingston. These groups will set up official viewing locations around the city, or check the Queen’s website for solar eclipse tips and activity ideas.
- Fort Henry, the city’s major historical attraction, will be be participating in the city’s Eclipse Events. From April 5-7, the Fort will have specialized programming. On Monday, Fort Henry will have an official viewing area.
- The city will host an official viewing celebration at Lake Ontario Park.
- All day on April 8, Murney Tower Museum will host educational programming, tours, and a space to view the eclipse.
Top sights to see in Kingston
Plan accordingly! Because for a smaller Ontario city, Kingston is jam-packed with things to explore, large historic sites, trails, and guided tours.
- There are two different walking tour groups with open availability in the week and weekend leading up to the eclipse. These include The Haunted Walk of Kingston for a paranormal tour of the scariest parts of the city or the Creative Kingston Walking Tour group for the city’s pop cultural history.
- Off the sidewalks, Kingston Trolley Tours provides city-wide tours within the comfort of a historic trolley car. These tours are available on April 6 and 7.
- And off the streets completely are the famous Thousand Island Cruises which open as early as March and which is open for April 6-7. This incredible sightseeing cruise travels through Lake Ontario’s many islands. They also offer an Eclipse Cruise.
- Experience the artistic flair of Kingston through an innovative set of nine self-guided walking tours, exploring the city’s rich film, music, and literary history.
- The Kingston Pen and tours are closed until May. But, a walk around the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Marina will still get you excellent views of the eerie building.
- Kingston has a rich music history, and a busy modern day live music scene, in addition to several great local venues. Check the weekend schedules for places like The Mansion, The Toucan, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, The Ale House & Canteen, or the Musiikki Café & Whiskey Bar.
- Explore the marine history of Kingston through the Great Lakes Museum, located in the harbour.
- Follow the short waterfront trail in front of Confederation Park to see sights like the historic Kingston City Hall, Engine 1905, the Crawford Wharf, and the Kingston Visitor Information Centre.
Best Hiking & Cycling Trails
Kingston’s waterfront location means there are plenty of waterfront trails on either Lake Ontario, or the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Plus, the areas north of Kingston include several small forest Lakeland areas with their own hiking areas to explore.
- Take a quick nature escape to the Marshlands Conservation Area, west of Kingston. The area should be busy with the spring migratory birds!
- Adjacent to the conservation area is Lake Ontario Park with an extensive set of waterfront trails.
- The trails around the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area will bring your adventures away from the water and into more forested areas.
- So too, will the Parrots Bay Conservation Area, southwest of the city. The area has close to 10km of hiking trails to explore next to Lake Ontario.
Best Places and Ways to Eat while in Kingston
The markets open in Kingston the weekend before the solar eclipse give visitors a chance to taste local foods, support local creators, and stock up on ingredients for cooking at a rental (Airbnb/VRBO). This is often a great alternative while on the road to things like takeout and fast food. Kingston is also home to a busy restaurant and dining scene, and equally-as-busy brewing scene.
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- The Kingston Public Market is open on the Saturday before the Eclipse Monday, while the Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market is open on the Sunday. And special for April 7th, the Memorial Centre market will host a Solar Eclipse Pancake Party!
- Kingston has many breweries to sip your way through: Riverhead Brewing Company, Skeleton Park Brewery, Spearhead Brewing Company, Hard Way Cider Company, Daft Brewing, and the Kingston Brewing Company.
- Have an expert guide lead you around Kingston’s best eateries with Kingston Food Tours. For April 5-7, the operators will offer their Classic Kingston tours, and Tapas tours.
- Browse the local restaurants and pubs on Ontario Street or King Street E. beside Confederation Park to find a huge variety of places to eat or drink.
Hotel Ideas in Kingston for April 5-8, 2024
Kingston is on the western banks of where Lake Ontario becomes the St. Lawrence River and offers a great deal of waterfront accommodations. What’s more, there are several hotel deals and packages available for the weekend with perks and extra amenities included.
- Delta Hotels Kingston Waterfront have their Glow & Renew Package available for eclipse dates. The package includes a 3-hour spa treatment and a $50 dining credit.
- The All Suites Whitney Manor have a year-round Radiant Reset Package thanks to the help of the Refinery Spa & Social House. The manor is in a beautiful waterfront location, is a historic mansion, and is completely modern on the inside.
- Kingston Central’s Quality Inn hotel offer two packages, both perfect for families: for the eclipse weekend, they’ll have their Dine & Stay Packages, and Movie Night Packages available.
